Explosion operated pump



Jig E. i-'

4 1 INVENTOR.

1 /5AAC C. M/LLzE i. $5 ,7 BY E i $1M 95 l. c. MILLER 2,532,535

EXPLOSION OPERATED PUMP Filed Aug. 23, 1947 as Po m A TTORNE Y. M

Patented Dec. 5, 1950 Isaac C. Miller, Denver, 0010.

Application August 23, 1947, Serial No. 770,277

1 Claim.

This'invention relates to improvements in pumps and has reference more particularly to a pump of the air lift type in which the gas or air pressure is obtained by exploding 'a gaseous mixture.

In many places it is necessary to raise water, oil or other liquid to a height above the normal liquid level and for this purpose pumps of various kinds have been invented, among others a pump or mechanism usually referred to as an air lift.

To operate'an air lift it is necessary to provide air or gas under considerable pressure and to direct this into a pipe near the lower end thereof, the lower end being immersed in the liquid. The air for such air lifts is usually provided by means of air pumps of different kinds.

It is the object of this invention to provide a means for producing any required amount of gas under a predetermined pressure, such gas to be used either for the purpose of operating an air lift, or for any other purpose where a gas'under pressure may be necessary.

This invention resides more particularly in the mechanism employed for effecting a proper explosive gas mixture, transferring the mixture to a combustion chamber and igniting and burning the same therein, whereby the gas ignited and burned in the chamber will increase in volume and pressure. Such gas can then be transferred to an air lift in a manner which will hereinafter be described, reference for this purpose being had to the accompanying drawing in which the invention has been illustrated and in which:

Figure 1 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation showing a mechanical device for ex"- fecting a carburation of a hydrocarbon fuel, a compression thereof into a combustion chamber and means for igniting said mixture and transferring the gas to a mechanism operable thereby; and

Figure 2 is a view showing a section through a well which is provided with an ordinary air lift.

Referring now to the drawing, reference nu-- meral 5 designates the base of an air compressor having a cylinder 6 at one end and a pillow block 1 at the other. A shaft that has been designated by reference numeral 8 is mounted for rotation in the pillow block and is provided at one end with a fly wheel 9 and at the other end with a crank pin l and a counter weight I I. A piston I2 is mounted for reciprocation in the cylinder and is connected with the crank pin by means of a connecting rod l3. The cylinder is provided with an outwardly extending flange M to which the cylinder head I is attached by means of 2 bolts [6. The cylinder head is provided with a valve housing I! that is secured to the outer surface of the cylinder head in axial alignment with the intake port opening IS. A poppet valve having a stem 29 that projects through the outer end wall of the valve housing. A compression spring 2| surrounds the outer end of the valve stem with its outer end in abutment with the cap 22. Spring 2| does not have to be of any great strength as its function is merely to move the valve against the seat. A carburetor 23 is connected with the valve housing by means of a pipe 24. A valve housing 25 is attached to the outer surface of the cylinder head and has an opening in alignment with the exhaust opening 26. A poppet valve whose stem has been designated by reference numeral 2?, is positioned in the valve housing and held in place by means of a threaded plug 28. Spring 29 is under compression urging the valve against the seat, which is on the inside of the valve housing as shown. Pipe 30 connects the interior of the valve housing 25 with the explosion chamber 3! whose surrounding wall has been indicated by reference numeral 32. through the wall of the explosion chamber is provided with a valve seat 33. A poppet valve whose stem has been designated by reference numeral 34, is urged against seat 33 by means of spring 35. A spark plug 36 is positioned in an opening in the wall of the combustion chamber and is connected with a timing device Si by means of a conductor 38. Reference numeral 39 designates a well or container for liquid, the liquid level has been indicated by reference numeral,

40. A bell 4| is positioned in the well, the lower end of the bell being open as indicated at 42. A valve housing 43 is attached to the top of the bell and is provided with a downwardly facing valve seat 44 that cooperates with the poppet valve, whose stem has been designated by reference numeral 45, which cooperates with the valve seat 44 and is urged against the latter by means of a spring 46.

Extending downwardly into the well is a discharge pipe 41 whose lower end terminates in a cylindrical chamber 48 that is provided at its bottom with a flap valve 49 and near the top with a relief valve 50. Valve 49 functions as a foot valve to retain the water in pipe 41 when the pump is not operating.

In Figure 2 an air lift of a slightly different construction has been shown. This lift is positioned in well 39 and the discharge pipe has been designated by reference numeral 41. Air or gas The end of pipe 39 that projects under pressure is conducted from the valve housing 43 by means of a pipe 5i. This pipe extends downwardly to a point near the bottom of pipe 41' and is connected with the interior thereof. A foot valve, corresponding to foot valve 39 in Figure l and designated by 49, is provided at the bottom of pipe 41. When air or gas under pressure is transferred through pipe 5i and discharged into the lower end of pipe 41, it mixes with the liquid therein, producing a froth or mixture of a less specific gravity than the liquid in the surrounding parts of the well and due to this Pipe 52 connect the explosion chamber with.

the interior of valve housing 43'.

Let us now assume that the parts are arranged in the manner shown and that the pump is rotated by some means such, for example, as an electric motor 53 anda belt 54,. Whenthe piston is moved towards the right, a charge comprising a mixture of air and gasoline, will be sucked in through the intake port, and on the return stroke of the pistonthis gaseous mixture, which is now explosive, will pass, outwardly past the, poppet valve in the outlet port, thence through pipe 30 into the compression chamber. When the compression stroke is completed, a circuit willbe closed by the timingdevice 37,, producinga, spark between the electrodes of the spark plug. This, spark ignitesthe gaseous mixture in the combustion. chamber; when this is burning the gas generated and acted upon by the heat in.- creasesin volume and in pressure. The gas then fiowsthrough pipe 52 into the valve housing 43 and from thence into the interior of. bell 41. As the pressure in the bellincreases, the level of the liquid is moved downwardly until it. finally reaches a position underneath the lower endof chamber 48, whereupon air or gas will pass through the flap valve- 49, mix with the liquid in, chamber 48 and thereby. reduce the specific ravity of the mixture, causing thelatter tomove upwardly and to be discharged at the upher end. of. pipe 41.

It, will. be observed that due to thefact that the. oil and gasoline mixture is produced by the alternate increase and decrease in the cylinder volume directly adjacent the cylinder head, a

predetermined quantity of air is carbureted at, eachintake stroke and this is thenpassed. on to the combustion chamber. By regulating the car.-

buretor so that only a. small amount of air is. carbureted at each engine stroke, a veryuni'form, mixture can be obtained whose characteristics can, be regulated to obtain the most desirable 4 presgure after the explosion takes place in chamber The air lift illustrated in Figure 2 i somewhat simpler than that shown in Figure 1, but they are fundamentally alike. Instead of operating an air lift pumping device, any other device may be substituted for translating the potential energy of the gases into work.

Attention is called inparticular to the fact that. this, apparatus transfers predetermined quantities of explosive gas mixtures under pressure, to the explosive chamber where each charge isn ed.

Having described the invention what is claimed asnew-is:

Apparatus for pumping liquids, comprising: a combustion chamber,- expansible chamber means for intermittently delivering a carbureted combustible mixture to the combustion chamber, means, for operating the expansible chamber means, means for igniting the mixture in the combustion, chamber to intermittently produce. r ducts. of bu t on. eans. for, pr venting.

retrogressive flow of the products of combustion.

from the combusionchamber to, the intermittent delivery means, a pipe for delivering a mixture of liquid and products of combustio having the lower end thereof disposed within an inverted1be1l having its lower end, submerged in ,a liquid su ply,,means for permitting flow, of the, liquid supply to the, pipe and for, preventing retrogressive how of fluid in. the pipe, therethrough, conduit, means for delivering all of the prodlwts ficom: bustion from the combustionchamber to the bell for subsequent delivery tov the; pipe, whereby a.

fluid. consisting of the productsof combustion and the liquid flow. through the pipe and means inte posed between the pipe and. the. combustion chamber for preventing retrogressive fiQW Q he products. of combustion and the liquid supply. into the conduit means.

ISAAC c. MI L REFERENCES CITED,

The following references are of record inthe.

file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

